Molded box



May 27, 1941. K. T. BARRETT MOLDED BOX Filed Sept. 10, 1938 His Att orney +u 3 w a BMW m c e n n by Wan v7 Patented May 27, 1941 MOLDED BOX Kenneth T. Barrett, Pittsiield, Mam, assignor a General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 10, 1938, Serial N0. 229335 1 Claim.

My invention relates to molded boxes and receptacles provided with covers, and more particularly to an improved hinge and structure for attaching the hinge to the box and to the cover respectively.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple structure on the walls of the receptacle and its cover whereby the hinge may be rigidly attached to the walls of the receptacle and cover without the aid of externally visible members such as pins or screws.

Another object of my invention is to provide a molded structure whereby a substantially standard hinge may be attached and locked to a receptacle and to its cover without additional machining operations upon this molded structure.

For a better understanding of my invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a molded box and cover provided with my improved hinge and structure for attaching the hinge to the box, Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the hinge portion of the box illustrated in Fig. 1 together with a hinge attached thereto, and Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Fig. 1 illustrates a box It! and a cover II, the cover being in its open position. The box, which is illustrated merely by way of example, is of the shallow type that may be used to hold cigarettes, small instruments, or other similar articles. It comprises side walls l2 and I3 and a bottom H which rises along the curved ends of the side walls to the upper edges thereof, thereby also forming the side walls. This box is molded of a plastic material such as, for example, a phenolic condensation product, but may be molded of rubber or any other suitable material. The box l and cover H in the drawing are alike, and may be molded in the same mold, the cover comprising side walls 15 and, i6 and a bottom l'l. The rear walls 12 and I of the box and cover similar means. The spacing of the hinges from respectively are connected by hinges l8 and i9 the end walls of the box and from each other is in accordance with established practice to obtain satisfactory rigidity. The details of the hinges and the method of attaching them to the box and cover may be more conveniently described by reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 discloses an enlarged fragmentary view .of the wall i2 and-an enlarged full view of hinge ii. The hinge comprises two leaves 20 and 2| connected to each other by pivot pin 22. The

two leaves are alike, being oppositely arranged so that the,tenons 23 and 24 of leaf 20 are wound about the hinge pin 22 alternately with the tenons 25 and 28 of the leaf 2|. Each leaf is provided near its end with a rectangular opening 21 which is separated from the end of the leaf by a pair of narrow tangs 28 and 29 projecting toward each other and separated by a narrow slot 30. The leaf is bent along a line 3i parallel to the hinge pin 22, so as to form two leaf sections 32 and 33 at right angles to each other. This formation of the hinge leaf places the hinge pin on the outside of the box wall while the other section of the leaf is attached to the inner surface of the wall.

The leaf 2i, as above stated, is like the leaf 20,

and is illustrated as being attached to the wall respectively provided with undercut recesses 36 and I1 adjacent to the wall. These recesses are parallel to each other and are dimensioned to hold the hinge leaf contiguous to the surface of the wall l2. When the hinge leaf is assembled with the box it is inserted in and guided by these recesses. The leaf is moved downwardly until its section 38, corresponding to the section 32 of leaf 20, is firmly seated in a notch 40 in the upper edge of the wall i2. To look the hinge in this position and prevent its return movement in the recesses 36 and 31, I provide a projection M which cooperates with the tangs at the end of,

the spring leaf.

The projection 4| is located between the gibs 3'4 and 35. It is an irregularly shaped projection resembling a wedge. It is provided with a pair of parallel surfaces 42 and 43, an inclined sur-' face 44, a surface 45, and a narrow connecting surface 46. The inclined surface 44 rises from the surface of wall i2 at an acute angle until it intersects the narrow surface 46 which is Parallel to the wall surface. The surface 46 extends to the surface ll which perpendicular to the wall. The parallel side surfaces, I! of this projection are spaced a 'distance which is somewhat less than the rectangular opening 21 in the spring leaf. The over-all length of the projection is also less than the length of the opening 21.

In assembling the hinge leaf to the box wall,

the hinge leaf is inserted in the recesses as and of the wall ll. In this position, therefore, the

tangs 2s and I! and the leaf section {I engage two'parallel surfaces; that is, the bottom of recess 40 and the surface ll, and prevent any movement of the spring leaf longitudinally in the recesses 30 and 31. Since the recesses it and 31 are spaced and made only large enough to receive the spring leaf, the spring leaf is, in this position, rigidly locked to the wall II.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modification of my invention. In this modification, the hinge is placed in a recess in the box wall. The sides of this recess are undercut to form the guide recesses or guide channels for the spring leaf, and a locking projection is provided in this recess. Referring to this figure in detail. an open recess 50 is provided on the inner surface of the wall If. The depth of this recess is enough to securely support the assembled hinge. The sides I and 52 of this recess are undercut to form guide recesses 53 which are suitably spaced and wide enough to receive the hinge leaf I4 and are deep enough to suitably overlap the edges thereof. The hinge leaf is provided with an opening II, the lower side of which is partly cloud by tangs 58 and 51 projecting towards each other. This hinge leaf is the same as hinge leaf II of Pig. 2.

For locking the spring in the recess, a projection ill is provided on the bottom surface of the recess 50 and intermediate the guide recesses 53. This projection differs from the projection ll of Fig. 2 in-that the parallel'sides s,sss',oes

merge with the front inclined surface to form a single round surface. With this arrangement. therefore, no element of the hinge nor of the fastening structure projects beyond, or above, the inner surface of the wall ii. In assembling the hinge It with this structure, the hinge leaf is placed in the recesses l8 and moved downwardly until the tangs l0 and I1 pass the lower surface of the projection ll. At this point, the horizontal section II of the spring leaf is seated in a the recess II on the upper edge of the wall if, and the leaf is thereby securely locked in position. It is, of course, possible to remove these hinges by merely prying the tangs away from the bottom surface of the recess or of the wall If as illustrated in Fig. 2, and they are moved beyond the vertical wall of the locking projections. 1111s is, however, seldom necessary.

My improved construction is suitable for large quantity production. The hinge leaves are modified. for receiving the locking projection by a simple punching operation. The box is completely formed by molding operation and no expensive machining is required to complete the structure. Furthermore, the hinge. may be assembled with the box by a simple operation which completely fastens the hinge to the box without the aid -of any additional elements such as rivetsor screws.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a molded box structure, the combination of a hinge, a box wall, a pair of projections molded integral with said wall. recesses in said projections arranged parallel to each other and to hold said hinge contiguous to said wall, and means for locking said hinge in said recesses including an opening in said hinge partly surrounded by a pair of tangs Projecting toward each other, a wedge-shaped projection on the wall of said box arranged intermediate said recesses and provided with a surface inclined to the wall and a surface substantially perpendicular to said wall, said inclined surface being arranged to lift said tangs from said wall during the movement of said hinge in said recesses and said substantially perpendicular surface being arranged to prevent a return movement of said hinge after said tangs reach the end of said inclined surface and spring toward the said wall surface.

KENNETH T. BARRETT. 

